UFC Vegas 85 predictions: Early ‘Prelims’ undercard preview | Dolidze vs. Imavov

The brief Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) hiatus comes to an end this Saturday (Feb. 3, 2024) when top-ranked Middleweight contenders, Roman Dolidze (No. 8) and Nassourdine Imavov (No. 11) square off atop the latest card inside the promotion’s APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The evening also sees Renato Moicano battle Drew Dober in a high-octane Lightweight showdown and Randy Brown look to make it two straight against the always-dangerous Muslim Salikhov.

Seven “Prelims” set the UFC Vegas 85 stage, all of which join the main card on ESPN+. Let’s take a gander at the first four …

145 lbs.: Jeong Yeong Lee vs. Blake Bilder

Jeong Yeong Lee (10-1) needed a combined 1:18 to dispatch Bin Xie and Kai Lu in the “Road to UFC” tournament. The early finish wasn’t there against Yizha in his UFC debut, but “The Korean Tiger” nonetheless emerged victorious via split decision.

Four of his seven professional finishes have come in less than one minute.

Blake Bilder (8-1-1) went from CFFC champ to UFC competitor thanks to a first round finish of Alex Morgan on Contender Series. He started strong with a decision over Shane Young, only to fall short against Kyle Nelson four months later.

“El Animal” is the shorter man by two inches and gives up more than four inches of reach.

The math here seems pretty simple: ferocious puncher + fragile underachiever = crime scene. There’s obviously more to it than that, but the logic holds. Bilder’s chin can’t match up to his grit, his wrestling is insufficient to neutralize Lee’s striking offense, and he doesn’t hit hard enough to punish Lee’s iffy striking defense.

Lee admittedly struggled with Yizha’s grinding attack to the point where he hesitated to throw power shots, but underwhelming against Yizha seems a lesser sin than underwhelming against Shane Young. Unless Lee comes out gun shy or Bilder massively levels up his takedowns, Lee smokes him in the opening minutes.

Prediction: Lee via first round knockout

125 lbs.: Luana Carolina vs. Julija Stoliarenko

Luana Carolina (9-4) saw a two-fight win streak give way to two straight losses against Molly McCann and Joanne Wood. She entered her subsequent clash with Ivana Petrovic as a decent-sized underdog, but managed to flip the script and score her third Octagon upset.

“Dread” will enjoy a three-inch reach advantage despite standing one inch shorter than Julija Stoliarenko (11-8-2).

Stoliarenko went one-and-done in UFC following her The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 28 run, but soon rattled off a five-fight win streak and claimed Invicta gold. She currently sits at 2-4 in his second run, though she’s won two of her last three.

All 10 of her submission wins have come via first round armbar.

Carolina’s mission here is to stay out of the clinch. Stoliarenko isn’t totally lost on the feet, but Carolina’s reach and volume give her the edge there. It’s a different story if Stoliarenko can consistently get inside because Carolina’s takedown defense is decidedly mixed. And even if she lands on top like she did against Petrovic, Stoliarenko is dangerous enough off of her back to finish her from there.

Unfortunately for Carolina, she’s not particularly difficult to tie up. Stoliarenko will have plenty of opportunities to at least force a scramble, and for all her faults, she’s not someone Carolina can shut down or outmaneuver on the mat. In the end, Stoliarenko bullies Carolina to the fence and grapples her way to another quick armbar.

Prediction: Stoliarenko via first round submission

155 lbs.: Landon Quinones vs. Marquel Mederos

Landon Quinones (7-2-1) entered TUF 31 as the Titan FC champion, only to make an unceremonious exit when Jason Knight took him out with a 55-second triangle. He then stepped up on short notice to battle Nasrat Haqparast in the Octagon, coming up short in a slugfest that saw them land a combined 319 significant strikes.

He is the shorter man by one inch, but sports a 2.5-inch reach advantage.

Despite already scoring three victories in 2023 alone, Marquel Mederos (8-1) entered his Contender Series clash with Issa Isakov as the underdog. The odds proved incorrect, as he befuddled Isakov with strikes before flattening him with a vicious knee.

All six of his professional wins have come via knockout.

This one boils down to who can seize the initiative. Both are absolute monsters when given room to operate — Quinones’ inhuman volume can break a man’s will with incredible speed, while Mederos’ versatility and misdirection can outright hypnotize opponents. Going by their recent efforts, Quinones looks the likelier of the two to get in gear. Mederos looked quite mortal against the straightforward pressure of Michael Murphy last April, while Quinones went toe-to-toe with a nasty puncher in Haqparast without losing his will.

Again, Mederos wins if he can consistently get Quinones to back up. The more respect he gets, the likelier he is to settle into a flow and muzzle Quinones’ offense via induced indecision. I just don’t see him doing so against someone this aggressive and, well, ballsy. Quinones builds steam through a nip-and-tuck first round before turning up the volume, shrugging off Mederos’ reactive level changes, and burying him in output for a late stoppage.

Prediction: Quinones via third round technical knockout

265 lbs.: Thomas Petersen vs. Jamal Pogues

Thomas Petersen (8-1) lost his unbeaten record and Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) title when Waldo Cortes-Acosta knocked him out in 2022. “The Train” rehabbed with two more wins in the promotion, then dominated Chandler Cole to graduate from Contender Series.

Seven of his eight finishes have come in the first round.

Jamal Pogues (10-4) won his second Contender Series bout and claimed a UFC contract by boxing his way past Paulo Renato Jr. in 2022. “Stormtrooper” then got on the scoreboard with a unanimous decision over Josh Parisian, but came up short against fellow Contender Series graduate, Mick Parkin, five months later.

He sports a two-inch height advantage and a three-inch reach advantage.

Solid takedown defense and straight punches are the secret ingredients for beating Petersen. “The Train” may, in fact, be a tank engine, but his tendency to square up and trade heat doesn’t always work out for him. Pogues has those tools in his arsenal, making the upset a real possibility.

But man, I just can’t get over the way he gave up against Parkin. He threw, not landed, less than 60 total strikes in the last two rounds while landing barely a quarter of them. The heart just isn’t there — even if he can neutralize Petersen early, it’s hard to see him keeping his foot on the gas after a few minutes of grinding, especially since he’s a bloated Light Heavyweight fighting a genuine Heavyweight. In short, Petersen walks through a barrage of jabs to wear down Pogues against the fence, drag him to the mat, and pound him into submission.

Prediction: Peterson via second round technical knockout

Three more UFC Vegas 85 “Prelims” bouts remain to preview and predict, including the latest from undefeated Flyweight prospect, Azat Maksum. Same time tomorrow, Maniacs.

LIVE! Stream UFC Vegas 85 On ESPN+

TOP-RANKED LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT REMATCH! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) kicks off its 2024 mixed martial arts (MMA) campaign on Sat., Jan. 20, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada, with No. 3-ranked Light Heavyweight contender, Magomed Ankalaev, running it back against No. 7-seeded Johnny Walker after their initial wild encounter went up in smoke. In UFC Vegas 84’s co-main event, Lightweight legend, Jim Miller, locks horns with upstart knockout artist, Gabriel Benitez, in an intriguing 155-pound showdown.

Don’t miss a single second of face-punching action!

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 85 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 85: “Dolidze vs. Imavov” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.